Battery lamp



June 26, 1934. J. H. HoRsLEY 1,964,577

` BATTERY LAMP Filed May 51. 1932 i a l 2 if l s i a E Patented June 26, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1,964,577 BAfcrEar LAMP James H. Horsley, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Universal Lamp Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application May 31, 1932, Serial No. 614,491

Claims. (Cl. 240-10.65) n f This invention relates to battery lamps of the other suitable material, same being here shown as type generally referred to as ashlights. Alof quadrilateral form in cross section. When this though not limited to such, it nds particular casing member is made of a conductive material, utility in such lamps of very small size, such as it may be nished interiorly with an insulating the so-called vest pocket lamps. coating, indicated at 11, such as a non-conduc- 60 A general object of the invention is the provision of a construction for such a device which can be manufactured very economically in Various sizes, particularly small sizes, and in which all of the parts are immediately and conveniently accessible for inspection or replacement, and may be assembled and disassembled very easily and quickly.

` Another object is the provision of such a device which has a very short external circuit between the battery cells and the lamp.

Yet another object is the provision of a construction particularly adapted to preclude short circuiting of the cell or cells.

Other objects reside in the provision of the several improved and advantageous features ci' construction hereinafter described and claimed, and still others will be apparent upon an underl standing of the invention or its employment in use.

For purpose of aiding in a disclosure of the invention, I show in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this speciiication, and hereinafter describe, certain forms in which the invention may be embodied, but it is to be understood that these are presented merely for purpose of illustration and are not to be accorded any interpretation calculated to limit the appended claims short of the true and most comprehensive scope of the invention in the art.

In said drawing,

Fig. l is a sectional elevation through the assembled device;

Fig. 2 is a part sectional elevation on approximately line 2 2 of Fig. 1, but with the lamp removed;

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the receptacle carrier with the lamp receptacle removed;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the same with the lamp receptacle in place;

Fig. 5 is a top view of the lamp receptacle;

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of the same; and

Fig. 7 is a top view of a receptacle with a modied form of lamp-retaining socket.

D An understanding of the invention will be vhad most quickly from an explanation of the illustrative embodiments shown in the drawing. Referring to the forms here shown` let it be understood that the reference numeral 10 designates a cas- 5 ing which may be made of light sheet metal, or

tive lacquer. In the bottom of the casing, held in place by a wedge lit, is a contact supporting member l2, preferably of dielectric material, which member supports a two-arm spring contact s member 14 of conductive material. 65

The receptacle carrier 15 may be formed of light sheet metal, or other suitable material, same having a anged top portion l5a adapted to rlt upon the rim of the casing, and a depending 'A skirt orwall portion adapted to be received with 7G a telescopic t in the open end portion of the casing. At its outer end this carrier aords an opening, which is covered by a transparent panel 16, such as of non-inflammable Celluloid, held in place by a wedging fit within the carrier. One side of the carrier is slotted to afford a resilient section or tongue 15b susceptible of being flexed inwardly against the resilient tendency of the material, and said section is provided with an outwardly struck boss 15C. The skirt is also formed with the inwardly directed lugs 1'7 and 18, formed by slotting and turning inwardly portions of the metal adjacent the lower margin of the skirt. At one end of the carrier, portions of the skirt are slotted and turned inwardly to provide the switch support 19. Mounted on the switch support is a switch stem 20, formed of a piece of ilat metal, having a portion adjacent its lower end turned in perpendicular relationship to the upper portion and guided in a slot in the switch support 19. At its upper end the switch stem 20 is provided with laterally extending stop shoulders 21 and with the nger piece 22 and latch shoulder 24 which extend through f, and are guided in a slot in the rim 15a of the car- 95 rier. A coil spring 25 is mounted on the switch stem and stressed between the switch support 19 and the shoulders 21 so that it tends to hold the stem in its upper limit position with the stop shoulders 21 against the rim of the carrier. At 100 its lower end, below the switch support 19, a contact spring 26 is mounted on the stem 20 and extends for a distance downwardly from the same. By downward pressure upon the end of the nger piece 22, the switch stem and contact spring 26 may be moved downwardly against the pressure of spring 25, and when the latch shoulder 24 has cleared the lower face of the rim 15a, the stem 20 may be shifted laterally so as to latch Y the shoulder 24 under said ange, thus to hold the 110 stem 20 and spring 26 in the depressed position.

The carrier 15 affords a mounting for the lamp receptacle. The latter comprises a frame of dielectric material, which may be pressed from a sheet of bre or the like to form a base portion 27 having attached panels 28 and 29 extending perpendicularly therefrom in parallel relationship. The base portion 27 has the rests 30 extending outwardly beyond the panels 28 and 29 at its corners, which rests may be formed of portions of the original fibre sheet slotted out of the portions which are turned up to form the panels. A conductive contact member is xedly secured to the base 27, same comprising a lamp contact member 31 positioned on the upper side of the base, and a battery Contact member 32 positioned below the base 27. lThe receptacle also comprises a socket member, of conductive material, same having the lamp-retaining socket 34, positioned between the panels 28 and 29 and over the lamp contact member 31 and having also a mounting portion 35 bent over the top of the panel 29 and seated in a notch, and the holding portions 36 bent around opposite sides of the panel 29 and seated in marginal notches therein. The members 35 and 36 thus afford a secure attachment of the socket member to the insulating frame. The socket member also has a Contact portion 37 which extends downwardly to base 27 and outwardly over one of the rests 30.

The outside span of the panels 28-29 is such that the receptacle will nt snugly between the carrier lugs 17 at the one side and carrier lugs 18 at the other, and the width of said panels is such that they will fit snugly between the opposite sides of the skirt 15 of the carrier. Thus the receptacle may be inserted in and retained by the carrier, with two of its rests 30 abutting the lower margins of the carrier lugs 17, one of its rests 30 abutting one of the carrier lugs 18, and the socket contact member 37 abutting the lower margin of the other carrier lug 18. As so positioned, the base 27 of the receptacle constitutes a spacer extending downwardly below the lower margin of the carrier skirt.

In the complete operative assembly of the device, two dry cells A and B are positioned in the casing 10, the cell A having its negative terminal in contact with one arm of the member 14 and the cell B having its positive terminal in contact with the other arm of said member. The size of these cells is such that together they will have an appropriate t within the casing 10 such as to be held in parallel relationship and without any substantial lateral play. A suitable lamp C having been inserted in the socket with its center terminal in engagement with the contact member 31 and its collar terminal in engagement with the socket 34, the receptacle is mounted in the carrier as above described. The carrier is then inserted in the casing 10 in such relationship that the battery contact 32 engages the positive terminal of the cell A and the receptacle base 27 engages the end of cell B, and the carrier is pressed to seated position, whereupon the embossment l5c snaps into a suitably located aperture 10a in one side of the casing, such interengagement of the parts serving to hold the receptacle in the casing and maintain the spring contact member 14 stressed.

The battery circuit is thus connected to the lamp through the contact members 32 and 3l, but the lamp circuit is open, as the spacer 27 holds the negative terminal of cell B away from the switch contact 26. The circuit may be closed by depressing the switch stem to bring the contact spring 26 into contact with the negative terminal of cell B, whereupon current may iiow from cell A through contact members 32 and 3l to the center terminal of the lamp, thence through the lamp to` the socket member 34 and from there through contact member 37 to lug 18 and the skirt of the carrier, and then by way of switch stem 20 and switch contact spring 26 to the negative terminal of cell B, and from the positive terminal of cell B through the spring contact 14 to the negative terminal of cell A.

In Fig. 7 is shown a receptacle with a modied form of lamp socket, designated by the reference numeral 34. This socket member is in the nature of a resilient clip adapted to clasp the collar of the lamp and hold it in position. This socket member is mounted on the panel 29 in the manner as above described, and is open at one side so that it terminates in the divergent arms 34h, between which the collar of the lamp may be inserted. The clip carries a short inwardly-pressed bead 34a adapted to engage with a thread of the lamp collar to hold the lamp against separation from the contact member 3l. lThis receptacle may be mounted in the receptacle carrier in the manner above described.

It will be observed that the construction of the switch is such as to permit its being mounted on the carrier with great facility. It will be noted that the switch support 19 is slotted to receive the lower portion of the switch stem, and that the inner end of the switch support is turned upwardly. In mounting the switch, the spring 25 having been threaded onto the switch stem, and the contact spring 26 having been affixed to the lower end of the switch stem, the upper end of the switch stem is inserted through the slot in the top of the carrier, the spring 25 is compressed against the shoulders 21 sufliciently to permit its clearing the upturned margin of the switch support, and the lower portion of the stem is slipped into the slot of the support. The spring 25 is then released, so that its lower coil will bear on the spring support, whereby one or more of the coils of the spring 25 becomes interposed between the upturned portion of the switch support and the inner margin of the spring stem, thus preventing escape of the stem inwardly through the slot of the support.

What I claim is:

l. A battery lamp comprising, in combination, a casing adapted to contain a battery, a receptacle carrier adapted to t the casing telescopically and close one end of the same, said carrier having an aperture at its inner end and a window at its outer end, a lamp receptacle insertable into and withdrawable from the carrier through the inner end thereof, said carrier being provided with means for removably retaining the lamp receptacle in place therein, said receptacle having a contact member adjacent the inner end of the carrier for cooperation with a terminal of a battery within the casing, and a switch movably mounted in the carrier for engagement with another terminal of a battery within the casing.

2. A battery lamp comprising, in combination, a casing open at one end and adapted to contain a storage battery, a receptacle carrier having a skirt portion adapted to t telescopically into the open end of the casing, said carrier and casing being provided with disengageable means for securing them in assembled relationship, said carrier being provided with a window at its outer end, a lamp receptacle removably mounted in the carrier and removable therefrom through its inner end when the carrier is separated from the casing, a contact member carried on the lamp receptacle and adapted for contact with a terminal or a battery within the casing, a switch member movably mounted in the carrier and adapted for contact with another terminal of a battery within the casing.

3. A battery lamp as specified in claim 2 and wherein said lamp receptacle has a non-conductive portion adapted for cooperation with a battery within the casing to limit movement thereof.

4. A battery lamp comprising, in combination, a receptacle carrier adapted for attachment to a battery holder, a lamp receptacle demountably supported in said carrier and comprising a frame of insulating material with a conductive lamp socket member mounted thereon, and a Contact member also mounted thereon but separate rom the socket member, said contact member and socket member adapted for electrical connection with different terminals of a lamp positioned in the latter, said socket member having a portion contacting the carrier, said contact member having a portion for engagement with a battery terminal, and a switch movably mounted in the carrier for engagement with another battery terminal.

5. In a battery lamp, in combination, a receptacle carrier adapted for attachment to a battery holder, said carrier having a skirt portion provided with inwardly directed lugs, a lamp receptacle detachably mounted in said carrier and comprising a trame of insulating material having intertting engagement with said lugs, said lamp receptacle comprising also a conductive contact member and a conductive socket member adapted for engagement with respective terminals of a lamp positioned in the latter, said socket member having a portion for engagement with one of said lugs, said Contact member having a portion for engagement with a battery terminal, and a switch movably mounted on the carrier for engagement with another battery terminal.

6. In a battery lamp, the combination with a battery holder, of a receptacle carrier having a skirt portion adapted to fit the battery holder telescopically, said carrier aiording a window at its outer end, a lamp receptacle movable into and out of the carrier through its inner end, said carrier having means for holding the receptacle mounted therein, said receptacle being provided with a battery contact member at the inner end of the carrier, and a switch mounted on the carrier for cooperation with a battery at the inner end of the carrier.

'7. A battery lamp comprising, in combination, a battery holder open at one end, a receptacle carrier detachably mounted on the holder to close the open end thereof, a pair of battery cells arranged collaterally in the holder with dissimilar terminals at respective ends, a conductive member connecting the dissimilar terminals of the cells at one end of the holder, a lamp receptacle mounted in the carrier adjacent the other end of the cells, a contact member on the lamp receptacle in engagement with the adjacent terminal of one of the cells, a socket member mounted on the receptacle, a lamp mounted in the socket member and affording an electrical connection between the same and said contact member through the lamp lament, and a switch movably mounted on the carrier for engagement with the adjacent terminal of the second cell of the pair, said switch having conductive connection with the socket member.

8. A battery lamp comprising, in combination, a battery holder open at one end, a receptacle carrier detachably mounted on the holder to close the open end thereof, a pair of battery cells arranged coliaterally in the holder with dissimilar terminals at respective ends, a conductive member connecting the dissimilar terminals of the cells at one end of the holder, a lamp receptacle mounted in the carrier adjacent the other end of the cells, a pair of contact members on the lamp receptacle adapted for engagement respectively with the terminals of a lamp, one of said contact members having engagement with the adjacent terminal of one of the cells, a switch movably mounted on the carrier and having conductive connection with the other of said contact members, said switch being operable to engage the adjacent terminal of the second cell, and a lamp mounted on the lamp receptacle and forming a connection between said contact members through its iilament.

9. A battery lamp as specified in claim 8 and wherein the connecting member applies resilient pressure upon rthe cells at one end thereof and the lamp receptacle has cooperation with the cells at the opposite end as a stop to limit their movement by such resilient pressure.

10. In a battery lamp, in combination, a carrier, aslotted switch support extending at an angle therefrom and having a deiiected marginal portion, a switch stem guided in a slot of the support, another guide for the switch stem spaced from the switch support, and a helical spring encompassing the switch stem between the support and said other guide, said spring bearing at one end on the switch support and having a portion interposed between the deflected portion thereof and the switch stem, and means on the switch stem engaging the other end of said spring to hold it compressed against the support.

JAMES H. HORSLEY. 

